Faridabad Smart City: 86% budget spent, projects still pending
With around 86 per cent of the allocated budget spent, the ambitious Smart City programme is likely to be extended till June as some projects are lying incomplete. The project was due to be closed by the end of the current financial year as per the directions of the Union Government.
The Faridabad Smart City Limited (FSCL) which had come up in 2016-17 for carrying out projects worth around Rs 1,000 crore had received funds to the tune of Rs 960 crore for a total of 45 schemes approved by the authorities, according to the sources in the district administration.
It is claimed that while as many as 24 projects have either been handed over to the Municipal Corporation and the Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA) or were under transfer, nine projects are yet to be completed.
A sum of Rs 130 crore lying unused is likely to be consumed in the ongoing projects or could be transferred to other agencies if the works do not get completed by March 31. However, it is claimed that the Smart City drive is likely to be extended in wake of the current state of progress.
As the Badkhal Lake revival work costing around Rs 100 crore is one of the major projects still in progress and may need five more months for completion, work on some others has also been lying incomplete, making the authorities seek extension, according to sources.
The works taken up under the drive included development of an Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) for traffic supervision, construction of 26.1 km long smart roads, sewage upgrade, wall art painting, landscaping, 10 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Badkhal, restoration and development of water bodies, parks, civic infrastructure in some localities, multilevel car parking at Old Subzi Mandi, construction of e-toilets, beautification of National Highway intersections, rainwater harvesting at public buildings, open air gyms, water supervising control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, stray dog shelters and construction of eight STPs.
Projects like the SCADA, restoration of water bodies and the STPs have already been handed over to other agencies, it is learnt. Sanjay Joon, CEO, FSCL, said while majority of works stand completed, the project may be extended in wake of the ongoing works.
